Visit Jen at Teach MentorTexts and Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who link up. Sheila at Book Journeys began this sharing, and it's now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date..
The Turtle of Oman, a novel - Naomi Shihab Nye, illustrated
by Betsy Peterschmidt
I
can see why others might speak of this story as a little slow. There is a build
up to the end, but really no exciting crisis requiring action, except in the
hearts of the boy, Aref and his grandfather, Sidi. Aref lives in Muscat, Oman,
on the edge of the Arabian Peninsula and is moving to Michigan in the United
States with his parents who will be spending the next three years studying for
their doctorates. And Aref, about ten, has to leave his home, his room, his
cat, Mish-Mish (meaning ‘apricot’), his school, his city. He doesn’t want to.
The biggest thing of course that he will miss is his grandfather.
The
book shows the days before departure as Aref and Sidi spend time together on
little adventures, like driving out into the desert to the Night of a Thousand
Stars camp, and visiting the beach where sea turtles lay their eggs. Nye sets
the tone of learning with Aref explaining that the goal in their family is to
learn something new every day, and woven in between the other experiences, the
book shows handwritten notes of what was learned that day, like about turtles,
Martin Luther King, and possible birds to see on their camping trip. A second
thread holding the story is that within each time together, Sidi finds one
special rock, explaining why it will help him remember that time. The culture is woven into the story also as
Aref says his goodbyes to the traditions in his city, like the calls to prayer.
It’s
a nostalgic time of goodbye, with Aref resisting filling his “one” suitcase no
matter how many times his mother asks, and with Sidi breaking down only once,
on their final night together. The book might be challenging for young children
to enjoy if they are looking for great adventure. Yet for some who have moved
and had to say goodbye to a beloved home, this might be a good one. And it will
also please adults who’ve had to say goodbye to a beloved grandchild who moved
away, as I have. Naomi Nye’s writing is
pure poetry, no surprise. There is a wonderful passage about home that I will
share a little part: “What makes a home, a home?” and “Or maybe it was how the
beach air smelled--salty and sweet in whirls. You didn’t have to do anything to
feel comfortable here. You just walked inside, took a long breath and thought--Yes. Sure. Here I am.”
Little Tree - written and illustrated by Loren
Long
Loren Long’s simple illustrations as the seasons move from summer to
fall to winter, and on to spring, and Little Tree hangs on to his leaves. One
can imagine some child hanging on to childhood, from young to older. I’d love
to have read this to my middle school aged students, wondering if some would
admit they would still love to hang on to their toys just a bit longer. Or for
the younger children, imagining a tree not understanding that trees might just want to keep those leaves,
connecting to the feelings of some kind of loss. It’s a simple and beautiful
story.
